A branched chain of glucose used for storage

Why can the liver, but not muscle, release glucose into the blood?

It has the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase

What is gluconeogenesis?

Making new glucose from non-carbohydrate sources

Why do endurance athletes use carbohydrate loading?

To fill glycogen stores before a race

What is glycogenesis?

The building of glycogen from glucose

Liver Glycogen Quiz: How Your Body Stores Sugar

Claude Bernard discovered in 1857 that the liver builds and stores a starch-like sugar, and this liver glycogen quiz explains how that store keeps you running. Play 10 interactive questions on insulin and glucagon, glycogenesis and glycogenolysis, branched glucose chains, muscle versus liver stores, fasting, gluconeogenesis and carbohydrate loading.

Start Liver Glycogen Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

What
What is glycogen?
Amount
Roughly how much glycogen does an adult liver store?
Insulin
Which hormone tells the liver to build glycogen after a meal?
Glucagon
Which hormone tells the liver to break glycogen down?
Release
Why can the liver, but not muscle, release glucose into the blood?
Fasting
Roughly how long can liver glycogen supply blood glucose during fasting?
New glucose
What is gluconeogenesis?
Discovery
Who discovered glycogen?
Athletes
Why do endurance athletes use carbohydrate loading?
Building
What is glycogenesis?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What is glycogen?
Answer: A branched chain of glucose used for storage
Animals store glucose as glycogen, plants as starch.
Q2: Roughly how much glycogen does an adult liver store?
Answer: About 100 grams
Muscles hold more in total but use it themselves.
Q3: Which hormone tells the liver to build glycogen after a meal?
Answer: Insulin
Insulin rises when blood sugar rises.
Q4: Which hormone tells the liver to break glycogen down?
Answer: Glucagon
It is released when blood sugar falls.
Q5: Why can the liver, but not muscle, release glucose into the blood?
Answer: It has the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase
Muscle keeps its glucose for its own use.
Q6: Roughly how long can liver glycogen supply blood glucose during fasting?
Answer: About a day
After that, the body relies more on making new glucose.
Q7: What is gluconeogenesis?
Answer: Making new glucose from non-carbohydrate sources
The liver uses lactate, amino acids and glycerol.
Q8: Who discovered glycogen?
Answer: Claude Bernard
The French physiologist described it in 1857.
Q9: Why do endurance athletes use carbohydrate loading?
Answer: To fill glycogen stores before a race
Full glycogen stores delay fatigue.
Q10: What is glycogenesis?
Answer: The building of glycogen from glucose
Glycogenolysis is the reverse process.

Liver Glycogen Quiz – Your Body's Sugar Bank

Glycogen is a branched chain of glucose molecules that animals use to store energy. The liver holds about 100 grams, while muscles hold more in total. French physiologist Claude Bernard discovered glycogen in 1857.

After a meal, insulin signals the liver to build glycogen, a process called glycogenesis. Between meals, glucagon triggers glycogenolysis, breaking glycogen down so the liver can release glucose into the blood. Muscle lacks the enzyme to release glucose and keeps it for its own work.

Liver glycogen can supply blood glucose for about a day of fasting, after which gluconeogenesis makes new glucose. Endurance athletes use carbohydrate loading to fill their stores. This quiz is for learning, not medical advice.

What This Quiz Teaches

Biology students and athletes will enjoy these questions.

What glycogen is
Where it is stored
Which hormones control it
How fasting affects it
Why athletes care

Did You Know?

Each gram of glycogen is stored with water.
Glycogen granules can be seen with electron microscopes.
Some rare genetic disorders affect glycogen storage.
Exercise depletes muscle glycogen first.
The brain relies heavily on blood glucose.